If we are going to talk about the special care for a white cat, we must start by differentiating it from an albino cat. The latter has a genetic alteration where, after the mutation, we have a generally white cat, with blue eyes or one of each color. The differences with the white cat are few but there are.
In this article on our site we want to show you what are the care for a white cat, what we must take into account and what not to have a successful coexistence and a he althy and happy feline.
Differences with the albino cat
Not all white cats are albinos! This is the first thing to highlight in order to understand the differences between albinos and "normal" cats. The albino cat's coat is always white, but the white cat's coat may have spots of other colors. There are also total whites who are not albinos.
The white cat may not have blue eyes or one of each color as an albino normally has. But it is not a rule but something that normally happens. On the other hand, the skin of white cats is not usually pale pink like that of albinos, it may be in some cases that have an albino descendant, and we do not know it, but it is not a fixed characteristic as in albinos. But for more information, don't miss our article about caring for an albino cat.
His fur: white
Like the black cat, it masks a great mystery, since most geneticists do not consider it a real color. It could be said that it is a gene called W, which covers not only the real color of the cat, but also its possible spots. In cats with a lot of white, this gene abounds, unlike the S gene, which is responsible for colors in our cats.
For the little one(s) in a litter to be born white, one of the parents must be white. This particular gene is known among geneticists as "epistatic", since it hides any color likely to appear in the feline. In some puppies there may be a gray or reddish spot on the head that, as they grow, disappears.
White Cat Eyes
Another difference to keep in mind with albinos is that allows the entire color palette when it comes to eyes: blue, green, yellow, gray, etc. While the albinos, as we said in the introduction, only blue or bicolor. In this sense, within the care for a white cat, if his eyes are of a rather dark color, we should not worry. On the other hand, if they wear lighter shades, as happens with albino cats, we must pay attention to the type of light we have at home, since they do not tolerate very intense lights.
Care for a white cat's skin
Regarding the largest organ of our feline's body, we must pay special attention to it, the same as in albinos. There are albino cats that do not have pigmentation in their hair or skin, and white cats that only have this abnormality in sectors of their body but, in both cases, require special care to avoid the appearance of pathologies such as the one detailed below. continuation.
Among all skin diseases, we have actinic dermatitis as the most common, where, by not having these pigments that protect the skin of our cat, ultraviolet rays penetrate directly causing this disease and can lead to cancer. A deep, chronic burn occurs in the cat after exposure to the sun. It mainly occurs in ears, nose, interdigital spaces and lips.
As symptoms we detect: constant itching and in different parts, blood in the tip or pinna, scabs in different parts of the body, hair loss and/or areas with color changes in the fur due to vasodilation caused by inflammation of the area.
As a treatment there is nothing better than prevention. Try to keep our little feline from being in the sun without sun protection and, much less, during times of high temperatures in summer. This advice is also valid for cats with white noses and ears, or red cats. The sunscreen can be for humans but free of zinc oxide. In any case, it is always good to consult a veterinary specialist.
Squamous cell carcinoma
I think the word speaks for itself, skin cancer This is the most frequent complication in animals with the aforementioned dermatitis that was not treated in a timely manner. The most common location is ears, face and nose. It is a ulceration of the skin and deformation of the face. It can continue to progress to the lungs, loss of appetite of the animal and, finally, its death if it is not treated in time.
We must pay attention to prevention and visit the vet whenever we have doubts about these issues. Everything is very fast and we can come to regret it. In particular, I have treated animals with homeopathy with great success, we just need to know the moment. For more information, don't miss our article on homeopathy for cats.
Deafness in white and albino cats
Both white and albino cats suffer from it and, therefore, when we talk about caring for a white cat, it is essential to take this condition into account. Some time ago it was associated with white cats and blue eyes, but today this theory has been discarded, since there are white cats with blue eyes that hear normally and others with green eyes that are totally deaf.
The origin of this abnormality is not exactly known but it is believed to be associated with the nerve structures of hearing during their formation and the lack of pigmentation in the hair. Within their care we have the exits to the outside that must be watched, since they are easy prey due to their reduced defenses and, therefore, cats with deafness should not go out aloneto avoid accidents. But within all the negative we have that they are very playful and affectionate, calmer, with very low nervousness thanks to the fact that they are not disturbed by the world around them. Check out our article on caring for a deaf cat and learn everything to offer the best quality of life to your feline if it suffers from this condition.
